Mandatory insurance for personal mobility devices shelved

Legislation covering bicycles and personal mobility devices (PMDs) such as skateboards, kick-scooters, e-scooters, and hoverboards was passed in the Singapore Parliament on Tuesday. However, the law does not require insurance for PMDs, to the dismay of some of its proponents.

In an earlier meeting in October, Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo said that mandatory insurance for bicycles and PMDs would be “too onerous and costly”, and instead advised victims to obtain compensation through civil lawsuits or private settlements.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the MP for Potong Pasir, Sitoh Yih Pin, disagreed, saying that “effort and cost should not be impediments.” He also suggested that the government should set up a fund to compensate victims.

Joan Pereira, MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, agreed with Sitoh, also proposing that each PMD should be sold as a bundle with personal accident insurance. The equipment must also be tagged and registered.

Teo countered that cyclists and PMD users occupy very wide age and social status ranges, making mandatory insurance hard to implement. She instead advised users to buy third-party insurance, which is currently available in the market. She also acknowledged that the current law is not the final set of regulations, and changes will be made to it to keep up with changing times.

The newly passed law contained several other regulations, such as speed limits for bicycles and PMDs, as well as banning electric bikes from footpaths. Stiffer fines and prison sentences for violators were also introduced.